Due to their immense popularity, social networking websites have spawned in prodigious numbers across the globe. These social networking sites allow users to become registered members and, as registered members, to utilize the system to socialize with other registered members. Most social networks permit and facilitate direct communication messages from one registered user to another and, in some cases, allow website visitors to communicate with registered users.
Given the vast membership of some of these social networking websites, the amount of unwanted direct messages received by a registered user may be unwieldy. It, therefore, may be desirable for registered users to have more control in configuring privacy settings to enhance their privacy and manage the volume and quality of communications received.